Sport has always reflected those who play it. It can be beautiful and ugly, crooked and straight, greedy and generous, malicious and genial, fair and unfair. Often it can be all these things at once.
It can be used as a metaphor for life, mostly through fair play rather than unfair play, but both apply.
Part of sport’s beauty and intrigue is how accurate it reflects the human condition. However, like humans, sport can have an ugly side. The events in Cape Town this week have shown just that, not least through the events off the field rather than on it.
Watching Steven Smith address Australia – and, to an extent, the world – on Thursday evening was desperate. A man whose error in judgement has become biblical. A man whose reputation has been tainted and whose integrity has been questioned. A man whose blood has been screamed for across the world.
But many on Thursday night saw a man they didn’t know. A man who loves his family. A man who loves his cricket. A man who can front up and admit to his mistakes. Very few abide by this moral standard.
That’s why it’s now time to stop and get some perspective. Enough with the bloodletting; these blokes are not criminals. Smith, Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft are good human beings who’ve made a deeply regrettable mistake on a sporting field.
(AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)
I’ve no doubt the three of them have replayed the events from Day 3 of the Cape Town Test match over and over in their heads with anger, guilt, sadness and regret as they battle their moral consciences.
This really was cricket’s black swam moment. Perhaps it was the incident Australian Cricket needed to have.
So, let’s get this straight: ball tampering is something that’s long been with us. Yes, it’s a transgression of the rules, but the dark arts of preparing the ball for reverse swing are practised by virtually every team in some way, shape or form. This was not an extraordinary offence by any means.
What was extraordinary and where many of the grievances lie is how sedulously it was done and how easily it was agreed too.
It’s the sort of blurry, out-of-focus video characteristic of ball-tampering charges in the past; it was a clear and reckless offence against the code. They knew it was wrong and did it anyway. That’s what’s bad. The conspiracy of the crime.
The scale of the backlash is a result of a deeper issue. It’s bigger than the three players who’ve committed the act. It’s systemic. A rotten culture stretching back beyond the events of this series. The past week is Australia being punished for a reputation they’ve carried into all this.
(Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
We pride ourselves on the idea that we have this hard edge and play on the edge of the law. It’s ugly, but we pride ourselves on the ugliness.
I’ve no doubt these attitudes fester in the decisions made around the ethics and morality of the style of play. In tense moments it’s not surprising that it all tips over to something like this.
This is why for the first 24 hours of the event it was the second leading news story – not sport, news – on the BBC, one of the world’s most respected news services. It was an every-dog-has-its-day mentality. We became the laughing stock of the world.
Emotionally it’s not the same as Trevor Chappell’s infamous underarm delivery because in this instance it didn’t result in the defeat of the opposition, meaning it will be difficult for South Africa to maintain anger at the incident.
It’s for this reason, people will move on. Eventually.
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A big part will be how the players conduct themselves over the coming months. They must put others first during this time, of course after they’ve got their own mental wellbeing in order.
Time is a wonderful thing. Those who wanted blood will become supporters and eventually carry on as though this never happened. Australians are happy to forget about players and athletes who’ve done far worse when it comes to cheering on their team.
People move on when it comes to great athletes. Being ‘world class’ makes the road back easier. While the punishments are harsh, they’re what were required. A precedence needed to be set.
I don’t think anyone would’ve predicted the hysteria of the past week, and while this is something we’ll never shake, it’ll certainly simmer down.
Give it time. We’ll all be discussing this sandpaper scandal in 18 months while applauding Steven Smith on his third comeback century.
Redemption is the narrative that always wins.
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